§8.6.12quid enim tuus ille, Tubero, destrictus id acie Pharsalica gladius agebat? cuius latus ille mucro petebat? qui sensus erat armorum tuorum? duplicatur interim haec virtus, ut apud Vergilium,
"
ferrumque armare veneno. "
Nam et veneno armare et ferrum armare translatio est.
For what was that sword of yours, Tubero, drawn in the battle of Pharsalus, doing? Whose side was that blade aiming at? What was the sense of your weapons? Sometimes this virtue is doubled, as in Vergil: "And to arm iron with poison." For both to arm with poison and to arm iron is a metaphor.
secantur haec id plures species: §8.6.13ut a rationali ad rationale et item de irrationalibus, et haec invicem, quibus similis ratio est, et a toto et a partibus.
These are divided into more species: as from the rational to the rational, and likewise concerning the irrational, and these mutually, which have a similar relation, and from the whole and from parts.
sed iam non pueris praecipimus, ut accepto genere species intelligere non possint.
But we are not now teaching children, so that they cannot understand the species when they have received the genus.
§8.6.14ut modicus autem atque opportunus eius usus illustrat orationem, ita frequens et obscurat et taedio complet, continuus vero id allegorias et aenigmata exit.
But as its moderate and opportune use illuminates speech, so its frequent use both obscures and fills with weariness, while continuous use ends in allegories and riddles.
sunt etiam quaedam et humiles translationes, ut id de quo modo dixi, saxea est verruca, et sordidae.
There are also some low metaphors, such as the one I just mentioned, "a stony wart," and sordid ones.
§8.6.15non enim, si Cicero recte sentinam rei publicae dixit, foeditatem hominum significans, idcirco probem illud quoque veteris oratoris, persecuisti rei publicae vomicas. optimeque Cicero demonstrat cavendum, ne sit deformis translatio, (qualis est—nam ipsis eius utar exemplis— castratam morte Africani rem publicam, et stercus curiae Glauciam) ne nimio maior aut,
For if Cicero rightly said "the bilge-water of the state," signifying the filthiness of the men, I would not therefore also approve that of the old orator, "you have lanced the pustules of the state." And Cicero demonstrates excellently that we must beware lest the metaphor be deformed (such as—for I will use his own examples—"the state castrated by the death of Africanus," and "Glaucia the dung of the senate house"), lest it be excessively larger or, which happens more frequently, smaller, or lest it be dissimilar.
§8.6.16quod saepius accidit, minor, ne dissimilis. quorum exempla nimium frequenter deprehendet, qui scierit haec vitia esse.
He who knows that these are vices will detect examples of them all too frequently.
sed copia quoque modum egressa vitiosa est, praecipue id eadem specie.
But copiousness also, having exceeded the measure, is vicious, especially in the same species.
§8.6.17sunt et durae, id est a longinqua similitudine ductae, ut capitis nives et
"
Iuppiter hibernas cana nive conspuit Alpes. "
in illo vero plurimum erroris, quod ea, quae poetis, qui et omnia ad voluptatem referunt et plurima vertere etiam ipsa metri necessitate coguntur, permissa sunt, convenire quidam etiam prosae putant.
There are also harsh ones, that is, drawn from a far-fetched similarity, such as "the snows of the head" and: "Jupiter spat upon the winter Alps with white snow." But in that indeed there is the greatest error, because some think that those things which are permitted to poets, who both refer everything to pleasure and are forced to transfer very many things by the very necessity of the meter, are also suitable for prose.
§8.6.18at ego id agendo nec pastorem populi auctore Homero dixerim, nec volucres per aera nare, licet hoc Vergilius id apibus ac Daedalo speciosissime sit usus.
But I, in actual practice, would neither call a leader "the shepherd of the people" on the authority of Homer, nor say that birds "swim through the air," although Vergil used this most beautifully in the case of bees and Daedalus.
metaphora enim aut vacantem occupare locum debet aut, si id alienum venit, plus valere eo quod expellet.
For a metaphor must either occupy a vacant place or, if it comes into another's place, be worth more than that which it expels.
§8.6.19quod aliquanto etiam magis de synecdoche dicam.
Which I will say even somewhat more regarding synecdoche.
nam translatio permovendis animis plerumque et signandis rebus ac sub oculos subiiciendis reperta est.
For metaphor was invented mostly for moving minds, characterizing things, and placing them before the eyes.
haec variare sermonem potest, ut ex uno plures intelligamus, parte totum, specie genus, praecedentibus sequentia, vel omnia haec contra; liberior poetis quam oratoribus.
This, however, can vary speech, so that from one we understand more: the whole by the part, the genus by the species, subsequent things by preceding things, or all these on the contrary; it is freer for poets than for orators.
§8.6.20nam prosa, ut mucronem pro gladio et lectum pro domo recipiet, ita non puppim pro navi nec abietem pro tabellis; et rursus, ut pro gladio ferrum, ita non pro equo quadrupedem. maxime autem id orando valebit numerorum illa libertas.
For prose, as it will receive "blade" for "sword" and "couch" for "house," so it will not receive "stern" for "ship" nor "fir-tree" for "writing tablets"; and again, as "iron" for "sword," so not "quadruped" for "horse." But that freedom of numbers will be of greatest value in pleading.
nam et Livius saepe sic dicit, Romanus proelio victor, cum Romanos vicisse significat; et contra Cicero ad Brutum, populo, inquit, imposuimus et oratores visi sumus, cum de se tantum loqueretur.
For Livy also often speaks thus, "The Roman victor in battle," when he means that the Romans conquered; and on the contrary Cicero to Brutus says, "We imposed upon the people and seemed to be orators," when he was speaking only of himself.
§8.6.21quod genus non orationis modo ornatus, sed etiam cotidiani sermonis usus recipit.
Which kind not only the ornament of speech but also the usage of daily conversation receives.
quidam synecdochen vocant et cum id id contextu sermonis quod tacetur accipimus; verbum enim ex verbis intelligi, quod inter vitia ellipsis vocatur:
"
Arcades ad portas ruere. "
mihi hanc figuram esse magis placet; §8.6.22illic ergo reddetur.
Some call it synecdoche also when we understand in the context of speech that which is left silent; for a word is understood from words, which among vices is called ellipsis: "The Arcadians rushed to the gates." It pleases me more that this is a figure; therefore it will be rendered there.
aliud etiam intelligitur ex alio:
"
aspice, aratra iugo referunt suspensa iuuenci,
"
unde apparet noctem appropinquare.
Another thing is also understood from another: "Behold, the bullocks bring back the ploughs suspended from the yoke," whence it appears that night is approaching.
id nescio an oratori conveniat nisi id argumentando, cum rei signum est.
Whether this is suitable for an orator I do not know, except in arguing, when it is a sign of a thing.
sed hoc ab elocutionis ratione distat.
But this is far from the method of elocution.